InuYasha Shorts Collection
by HannahGallifrey
Summary: I've had a few concepts rattling around in my head that aren't suitable for full-length fics, so I present to you the InuYasha Shorts Collection! There will be no lemons here, my apologies if that's your favorite fruit. But try the trees in this orchard, and you may yet find the fruits to your liking :)
1. The Princess and the Dog

A/N: hello everyone! I've had a few concepts rattling around in my head that aren't suitable for full-length fics, but I don't want to clutter my page with too many short things in their own little spots. So here we are, the InuYasha Shorts collection! I will have the rating of each story at the top, and each 'chapter' will be a new story unless specified. I'm going to start with one I've put a lot of thought into as I've built the world of Yōkai pride, Human prejudice. We really don't know anything about the relationship between InuYasha's parents except for the few minutes we see them together in the third movie (which IS canon, approved directly by the lovely mangaka, so are the audio dramas, fight me) so I wanted to explore that. This story is the result, and I hope you like it!

* * *

 **The Princess and the Dog (title WIP)**

 **Rating: T**

The great Dog General stood on the steps of his palace, gazing out across his lands as a cool autumn breeze ruffled the grasses in the gardens and made his ponytail sway gently. It was about a week before the Running was to start, and he was hoping to finally be able to drag his son, Sesshomaru, along to one of the festivals held in several places across the lands he managed. He'd had many discussions with his hard-hearted and hard-headed son, but he was too much like himself in attitude, despite getting all his mother's looks.

The Taishō sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck and settling himself on the stairs, gazing off into the large gardens. Sesshomaru was…a troublesome boy. Much like his own youth, he cared for nothing but power and conquest. He had to admire his son's desire to surpass his father, but there were duties he was neglecting. The boy was thoughtless in courtship, and almost cruel, which was why he'd made the decision centuries ago not to betroth him, as was tradition. No woman deserved such a careless man as her mate, and no pup deserved so preoccupied a father as that. The boy's thoughts and actions were clearly displayed in his still too boyish face and body. He had not matured as someone well past the age of maturity for their kind should have. Next year, his son would reach his five hundredth year; without a mate, without children, or, indeed, grandchildren, as one his age ought to have. The man sighed deeply again, shaking his head gently. In two days, they would go and attend the Nami and Tsuki gathering for the Running, here in the west of their lands. Perhaps instinct would finally get Sesshomaru to come around, or perhaps he would at least give the females a closer look as they played keep-away.

The silver-haired man looked up as his beloved, the political ruler of the lands to complement his military rule, rested a hand on his shoulder before settling herself daintily beside him. "you're worried about him again, aren't you?" she observed, her golden eyes shining in the afternoon light. "do you think this scheme of yours will actually work?"

He offered another sigh. "I can only hope." He glanced at her and offered a smile and his hand, which she took. "you are welcome to come with us also, my love, you know that. There will be no need of your work for the rest of this moon, you know."

The dainty moon-marked woman looked down, blushing lightly as she knew what that offer entailed. "I have never liked the idea of doing such acts out in the open," she reminded him gently. "I very much like the privacy of our empty palace during this season." His face fell; he had been hoping she would agree as the season grew nearer. It would be uncomfortable, to say the least, to go alone as a mated man, and the last thing they needed were rumors starting about there being dissent between them where none existed.

"well, then," he said, trying a different tack, "should I choose you a concubine? I don't want you to spend the season without me being miserable while I have to try and find our stubborn ass of a son a mate—"

"No! I don't want that. And don't call him such things. Even if he is stubborn…and an ass, sometimes. At least it isn't our fault." She looked up at him as he touched her chin and he kissed her. "won't you please reconsider?" he asked, pleading. "You've never even been to a running before. You don't know what you're really missing."

"I am missing nothing. I would say drop him off at the running and come back to me, but we already know that doesn't work," she sighed with some amusement. She offered a tiny smile as he chuckled beside her. "besides that, I am sure there are treaties I could use the time to review, and other projects I may be able to finish now that my largest distraction is away from the palace for a while," she teased him, enjoying his laugh as he wholeheartedly agreed that he could sometimes be quite a distraction to the little woman.

"whether this works or not, my love, next year you are staying," she told him in a softer, warmer tone as she leaned over against his strong arm. "as many problems as Sesshomaru causes, perhaps it would be better for us to start over with a new heir…" he chuckled again, thinking it was just a joke for a few seconds until he realized she was being serious in at least a few ways.

"hmm…perhaps you are right, my love…"

* * *

Sesshomaru panted, holding the wooden sword before him, glaring at his opponent. The man across the room stood 6 inches taller than him and a little heavier, and was standing tall and at ease, not even breathing hard. Snarling, Sesshomaru attacked again, trying every move he knew in every combination he could think of, but he couldn't even close to land a blow on the man. He hated, _HATED_ the clacking of the swords bouncing uselessly off one another as the man blocked and parried without any apparent effort.

"I hate you, Father," Sesshomaru growled, pausing to pant again, bending over slightly as he returned to his side of the room. "I will beat you!"

"not anytime soon, obviously," he commented in a disappointed tone. "you have plenty of _power,_ my son. But anger will not help you to _use_ it." He blocked a few more blows as the boy tried again to attack, then pressed his own attack, leaving him quickly with several dozen welts and bruises all over his pale skin. _"pathetic._ You don't _listen_ to anything I tell you!" he snarled. "you're so focused on attacking me and trying to get past my guard that you completely neglect your own. You're not trying to win, with tactics like that—you're trying to _die._ " He tossed aside his practice sword and started to untie his armor, turning his back.

The next thing he felt was a sharp jab in the middle of his back, opposite his heart, and closed his eyes in disappointment, letting out a deep sigh and giving the stupid boy a few seconds to run before he retaliated. The point of the practice sword didn't even move in those precious few seconds, and Sesshomaru didn't see his father move. The next second, he was flat on his back with his father sitting on his chest, one huge hand pressing on his throat and chin, snarling, his eyes a dangerous red.

" _have you NO honor at all?!_ " he asked in a tone that was far more growl than speech as he fought to stay within his human form. _"you may claim my blood, but to seek my life in such a cowardly way, you are no son of mine. Consider this your only warning. There will be no second time."_ The Taishō removed his hand from his son's neck as the boy willingly turned his head, bearing the vein in his throat to his superior in submission, closing his eyes. Both of them could feel his heart hammering, for this was the only man Sesshomaru had ever met that could scare him in any way. He had no doubt that his father was completely serious, just as he had been with the jab. He was bitter and wanted to land a 'killing blow' on a man he clearly could not match. But with such speed and fury…he would have been in the afterlife before he could blink had his father wanted to kill him. Sesshomaru knew he would not be making such a mistake again.

He opened his eyes as he felt the prick of fangs on his neck, accepting his submission, then a tight hand on his scruff dragged him back to his feet. "get out," the Taishō spat, making a dismissive gesture. "we will not spar again until we return from the running."

Sesshomaru did his best to walk away without limping, pausing in the hallway to rub at his neck and calm his racing heart. That had been too close. Much, much too close for him.

* * *

As the Taishō reached the large field full of his clanmates and those few of his mate's, he glanced behind him. Sesshomaru, also in his true form, was lagging behind, tail and head lowered. It was obvious he did not want to be here. "cheer up, my son! The running will begin soon. At least enjoy yourself while you are here. Stretch your legs, do some hunting. Perhaps you will find someone worthy of your affections without realizing it." The boy gave a surly growl and looked away, trying to ignore his father. Well, there were other matters he needed to discuss with the daimyō and minor lords before the festivities began anyway. The Taishō trotted over to a relative of his, the Nami daimyō, and sat down.

"do you think the restrictions will hold?" he asked the silver-furred hound who was lounging with his mate in the midmorning sun.

"Taishō-sama! I didn't notice you arrive," the man yipped, sitting up and dipping his head respectfully. "are you well? How is the Lady Mother and your heir?"

"I asked you a question."  
"oh! Of course. I made sure to explain to all my lords, and I am certain they told their subjects. There shouldn't be any more human-hunting incidents this year with the new borders we've set up."

"good." He turned at a growl and saw Sesshomaru sitting apart from the others, hunched in on himself while a couple of young females sniffed and poked at him teasingly. He kept growling but apparently wasn't brave enough to try to get rid of the girls in any way. The man gave a huff of amusement and walked back over to his son, clearing the girls out of the way and watching his son relax once they moved off. "that's no way to treat the ladies, my son. Perhaps that is why you can't find a mate," he teased, sitting beside him once more. "the hunt will start at noon. Be ready."

As the last of the clan members gathered, many coming to speak with the Taishō-sama and his heir, the two Daimyō gave a signal and everyone stood. "it is time for the Running to begin. Everyone, good luck," the Nami daimyō called out with a howl. Everyone took off at a run, some even flying, in every direction, looking for prey. The Taishō watched as Sesshomaru took off with a small clump of promising females and nodded in satisfaction before running off with a different group.

The massive InuYōkai was just finishing his second wild sheep when a high scream sounded from somewhat nearby. He licked the blood from his muzzle the best he could and bolted after the sound. That was a human! "STOP!" he howled, squeezing between the trees to reach the clearing where 3 younger Tsuki stood, two females and a male. 3 humans were already dead, and looked to be guards of some sort. The fourth human, a dainty young female with fancy layered clothing, was trying to hide under a tree, cowering and crying, from the massive white beasts. "Stop, I said!" he snarled, getting between the attackers and their prey. "the law is clear. Hunting humans is forbidden!" he told them furiously. They all reluctantly retreated, even leaving behind the dead that were rightfully their prey.

As the massive hound turned to look closer at the little ningen woman under the tree, she screamed in terror again, hurting his ears, and hid behind her large sleeves, cowering and shaking. "please don't eat me!" she wailed, clearly terrified.

"I…I'm not going to eat you. I just said it was forbidden," he snuffled softly, forgetting that humans couldn't understand the language InuYōkai spoke while in their true form. The girl looked up, then squealed and hid again, falling as her weak knees gave way in terror. All she had seen was the blood-covered muzzle of a massive killer beast who was probably trying to decide if she was worth the trouble of chewing over swallowing whole! "Kami-sama, please don't let me die today!" she prayed desperately.

Realizing, belatedly, that the ningen could not understand him, he knew there was one thing left to do. With her guards dead and well within the boundaries he had set, it was a matter of time before someone else made a meal of her. He concentrated on his human form and settled into it, quickly wiping the last of the sheep's blood from his mouth. He stepped the last few feet forward and bent down, offering his hand.

"please, princess, do not be afraid. I will protect you, I promise."

* * *

A/N: this is one of the few that will have a second part actually, so stay tuned! Please review and help me decide on a better name!


	2. Part 2: Mistakes

A/N: here is the much anticipated (already, wow!) second installment of 'the princess and the dog', for your reading enjoyment!

* * *

 **The Princess and the Dog** **Part 2**

 **Mistakes**

 **Rated:T**

The sun was already nearly down on that mid-october day as the great Inu no Taishō stared down at the small Ningen woman who had taken his hand to get back to her feet. She looked a bit awestruck by the tall, pale and silver-haired man who had appeared seemingly from nowhere and driven off the monstrous hounds.

He stepped back a pace in surprise as the little woman suddenly kowtowed and kissed his shoes, or at least attempted to. "Kami-sama, you honor me. I don't know what to say-"

"No."

She looked up sharply in surprise and confusion, and he suddenly changed his mind about correcting her. "There...is no need to thank me, my child," he mumbled somewhat awkwardly, glancing away. She looked even more confused for a second, then sat up, leaving herself sitting seiza on the dirty forest floor.

"Kami-sama, forgive me for being bold, but why did you save me? Surely it cannot be just because I asked…" she looked up at him, still looking awestruck by him.

"These Yōkai are forbidden from hunting humans, and they disobeyed," he explained, his expression darkening momentarily. "I assure you, they will be punished." he offered his hand again. "For now, princess, you still are not safe. Please, come with me." his first thought was to try and return the little ningen to her people in the nearest village, but he wasn't sure where she actually originated. She was clearly someone important, judging by the bodies of the guards that were still near them in the coming twilight. She had not attempted to correct him calling her 'princess' either, he noticed, so it was probably accurate. She took his hand and stood, being almost exactly the same height as his beloved.

"where will we go?" she asked softly, keeping a tight grip on his hand as he started to lead her from the clearing, leaving the dead guards behind. "will you return me to my father's lands? Or am I yet destined to reach the man I am promised to?" the tone of her questions made it clear that neither outcome was favorable to her. Perhaps her father wanted rid of her for some reason—He couldn't think why, she seemed well-behaved and wasn't old enough to be a problem if she didn't marry immediately—or perhaps she didn't like it at her old home. However, her trepidation to go to her betrothed was understandable, as she obviously had never met him and may not even know his name. The Silver-haired man paused and turned to look at the little woman, who seemed to squint at him as it grew darker and her weak eyesight failed.

"as I said, I will protect you," he told her. "where do you wish to go? Where would it be safest for you?" he wasn't familiar with the local human settlements, since he was rarely even in this part of the lands.

The girl gasped as he pulled her close to his side, growling lowly at the sound of howls very nearby. Some more young fools had found the guards' bodies. At least there would be nothing left for the villagers to find, now.

"where will it be safe for you?" he asked her again, worried to feel her trembling within his protective arms. Poor little prey-creature; without his aid she had no hope of even lasting the night. She shook her head, whimpering softly as the howling grew louder as it came closer, but the hounds did not come in their direction. She managed to stammer out after a few moments that she wasn't sure where she was, as only the guards had known the route to her betrothed's palace and they were more than halfway there. That made the InuYōkai's choice clear, as only one option seemed to present itself to him now.

The little ningen let out a shrill scream as he put his forearm behind her knees and under her shoulders and leaped into the air, going beyond the edge of the permitted hunting grounds.

* * *

The Taishō set the shaking little ningen woman back on her feet at the edge of a meadow. The fireflies were out late that year, he was surprised to see, blinking and flashing as they floated on the cooling breeze. "Kami-sama, I—" she began.

"no, little ningen. I am not a god."

"wh-what?" she stepped back from him immediately, looking horror-struck. "but…but why? Why did you save me? Why did you let me believe you were?"

The man let out a deep sigh and settled to the thick meadow grass, motioning her to join him, though she refused. "I let you believe I was a god because it seemed kinder in your confused and frightened state," he explained. "as for why I saved you—I believe it was simply the right thing to do."

"what are you really?" she demanded, hiding behind her sleeves once more, doing her best not to start trembling again. "tell me. I want you to be honest with me." Now that she wasn't immediately fearful for her life, the little ningen seemed to have a bit of personality, which he appreciated.

"You will not like my answer." He sat up straighter, cross-legged in the grass, looking up at her, with her raven hair shining in the starlight. "I am a DaiYōkai, another of the very beasts who hunted you this very afternoon." Her eyes went wide in horror and fear, and she took one step back, then another, before tripping on her juni-hitō and falling backwards to the ground. He watched her, making no move to help her this time. "why do you fear me, when you know it was I who saved you before?"

"you're a Yōkai? A monster? But you look like a man!" she insisted, apparently unable to believe her eyes. He simply nodded, forgetting she likely could barely see in the darkness of the mild night. "why did you really save me, then? So you could have me to yourself? Do you intend to eat me?" she asked, her voice nearly failing her by the end. She heard him sigh deeply as she finally managed to sit back upright.

"If I had intended to eat you, little princess, you would have gone down my throat that very instant," he informed her calmly. "I assure you I have no such intentions. I want you to be safe, and therein lies my dilemma." She was staring fixedly at him now but could just be trying to see him in the starlight. Surely his silver hair and white clothing would make it easier? "you said you don't know where you are, and this is not my usual territory. I don't know where to take you, and I am not convinced you would be safe simply dropped in the nearest human settlement." He sighed softly again. "There is one more way which I know would make you safe from being hunted by my brethren. But it is risky for both of us."

She leaned forward, still staring at him, struggling to make out his face in the incredibly dim light. She wished she had a lantern, a lamp, _anything_ that would dispel the darkness, though the man seemed quite comfortable. "what is it? If it will keep me safe, as you say, and this is your true wish, then I must trust you."

He sat silently for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. If he was being honest with himself, it was a terrible plan on several levels, but he just didn't see any other option that was actually viable. "I must place a mark on you," he told her. "it is only temporary, of course, but it will prevent any other Yōkai from bothering you. The process of placing the mark, however, is difficult, for both of us." He moved closer. "I will have to bite your throat—you must trust me, and stay still—and then, you must remain by my side until the sun clears the horizon. I swear I will not touch you during this time. You have my word." Even if she asked, he was not about to admit what the mark was actually for. It wouldn't matter. It wasn't going to happen, not to the strongest InuYōkai in the 8 clans. He was not like the Yume of 8 centuries ago, with their love of humans and worthless half-breed mutts.

The Man looked up to see the little woman nodding softly in agreement. "I will hold very still. Please just be quick about it." He frowned softly at the bitter scent of fear she still gave off. She had every right to still be scared, after the day she'd had. He chose to stand and pull the little ningen to her feet, gently bracing her against his chest and moving her mane of straight raven hair to bare her pale throat, marking her quickly before she could flinch away.

"now, all we must do is wait for the sunrise."

* * *

This was going to be the longest night of his long life.

The little ningen had already fallen asleep in the grass beside him, gently wrapped in his massive pelt as the night slowly grew colder. He knew the mark he'd put on her pale neck would cause him to physically desire her—that was, after all, its usual purpose. But he had underestimated just how powerful that instinctual pull actually was. She did not seem at all bothered by it, as females usually were, but perhaps that was simply because the mark was not meant for humans. He couldn't begin to guess. But his instincts were starting to greatly irritate him.

 _Go on,_ they seemed to whisper, _all you have to do is touch her. You want to. She's right there. Just touch her cheek. Doesn't it look soft? You should find out if it really is…_

 _NO._ he thought back at the instincts, trying to ignore them. _I swore I would not touch her, and I will keep my word. I do not desire her or her kind. I do not!_

 _Then why mark her at all?_ The instincts taunted back, nagging him again. _You should have just eaten her whole like those sheep this afternoon. But she has a better purpose for you. Just touch her. Look, her hair is falling over her face. Just brush it out of the way. That doesn't look comfortable._

The Yōkai man gave a very soft growl and rolled onto his back, refusing to even look at the sleeping ningen any longer. He stared at the stars, dismayed to find it wasn't even midnight yet. This was going to be a very long night indeed.

 _You can't stop looking at her! What if she tries to leave? What then? She could run away from you and be in danger if you're not watching her!_ His instincts clamored, and he quickly glanced back at her, instantly relaxing to find she hadn't even moved in the few minutes he had looked away from her. Hmm…she really was very beautiful in the starlight…without thinking, he brushed her hair away from her face so he could see it better, gently tucking the black strands behind her ear and feeling a faint smile tug at the corners of his lips.

He turned away again, sticking his hands under his arms, furious with himself. Luckily, the little ningen had not noticed his lapse.

He stole glances at her for the better part of two hours, until a little past midnight, keeping his hands firmly under his arms and his body with a gap of several inches between his and hers. He heard her yawn and glanced over again, noticing her shiver and pull the pelt closer around her. The temperature had dropped enough that dew was beginning to form on the grass. His instincts clamored that she was cold and he was neglecting her and he had to do something. He rolled a little towards her, pulling her gently into his embrace in another moment of foggy instinct-driven action, satisfied when she curled naturally into his arms just like his mate liked to do on winter nights, and even nuzzled him, which pleased him even more. Perhaps, if he could manage to sleep, this night wouldn't be so long after all?

But it was not to be. Every time he thought he was drifting off to sleep, he would come back to his senses to find himself rubbing circles on her back or petting her hair, or even once slowly peeling back the layers of her juni-hitō from her shoulder. He had gone back to laying on his back with his hands under his arms after that one. But, without his warmth in the coldest part of the night, she had soon started to shiver again, and he had allowed himself to embrace her once more— _only_ to keep her warm.

He was fairly proud of himself as he saw the stars slowly ending their dance for the night, the sky just beginning to become grey as the sun readied herself to rise and herald a new day. But then, she woke up, gazing at him in the predawn light. Before long, he was dismayed to discover that the mark did indeed work on ningen women just as well as Yōkai. The scent of her, as her face flushed red in embarrassment, already wrapped in his arms, drove him completely mad. He did not return to his senses until the sun was well up, becoming aware of the strong scent of human blood.

* * *

Just before dawn in the InuYōkai palace, the Lady Mother was awakened by an incredible pain. She sat upright in her darkened, empty chamber, clutching at the left side of her neck. Her fingers came away bloody. The mating mark she had shared with her beloved for five centuries had been broken. She knew he was far too loyal to ever betray her, and only one other thing could have severed the bond.

A heartbroken howl echoed through the empty halls of the InuYōkai palace as the sun broke the horizon.


	3. InuYasha and Kagome: Allergies

InuYasha and Kagome: Allergies

Genre: Humor

Rating: K

 _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch._ InuYasha was sitting on the half-finished roof of his hut, trying to focus on finishing the shingles, when another bout of itchy scalp hit. He sat with his eyes shut, kicking at the itch with his foot. The sakura petals were falling and his head always itched awfully around this time of year, just as it started getting warm. Luckily, he thought, it would clear up in a couple of weeks, and he wouldn't have to deal with it again until the late fall.

Underneath him, Kagome walked into the mostly-finished hut, getting a broom to sweep out the petals that had fallen in during the rainstorm last night. He peeked through the hole in the roof, grinning as she started humming while she cleaned. "Hey, Kagome!"

The Miko looked up and smiled. "InuYasha! Are you nearly done? Lunch is going to be ready pretty soon." He nodded and replied that it would be just a little longer. He sat back up as another bout of itchiness hit. _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch!_

The miko went back to her cheerful humming, sweeping the petals into a pile so she could sweep it out the door. She noticed something else being gathered by the broom and raised an eyebrow. Turning the broom bristle-side up, she pulled a small clump of silvery strands of hair off it. "What's with this?"

 _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch!_

Kagome looked up just in time to see a small rain of silver strands fall through the hole in the roof as her husband scratched yet again, even more strongly. She walked over to the hole and looked up just in time to watch him shake and produce a practical _cloud_ of silver hair.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked in alarm as he sat back up.

"Huh? Nothin'. My head's just itchy. It does that. I'll be fine in a week or two." He looked embarrassed at her concern, as usual.

"Are you sure?" She asked, and he just scoffed, ignoring her and finishing the roof, covering the hole. Kagome swept up the last of the petals and hair and took the broom back to Kaede's, where the young couple was staying while their own house was being built. It worked quite well, as Kaede didn't mind the company after so long alone, and it meant Kagome was right there every morning to learn from the wise miko.

"Kaede-Sama! I'm back!" She called, not sure if the old woman was home.

"Lunch is ready, child. You can serve yourself." The voice came from the back room, and Kaede emerged not long after, smelling of a few herbs. "And where is InuYasha?"

"He's—" _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch!_ "He's here," she said, glancing back at the door as the hanyō man arrived, combing his fingers through his hair and leaving several more strands outside the doorway. "He's been scratching like that all day; do you know why?"

"I told ya, I'm fine, Kagome." He sat down and grabbed a bowl of stew. "This happens every year. The sakura falls and my head itches. It just happens."

"Say…" Kagome mumbled to herself, "I wonder if maybe you have allergies?"

"I have a-what-now?" He raised an eyebrow at his wife suspiciously. It was always dangerous for him when she started tossing those… _modern words_ around. "What's that?"

"It means there's something out there that's making you sick, like pollen from the trees blooming," She explained. "It's really common in my time, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist now. Maybe the sakura blooming is making you itch. But I'm worried about it making your hair fall out."

"Oh, c'mon!" He complained, finishing his stew. "I don't have a-ra-whatever. That's ridiculous."

Kagome just gave him a sidelong glance as _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch!_ He left a few more strands of hair on the floor. He just swept the silvery strands into the fire, ignoring it.

"Well, I wanted to go see Sango for a little while this afternoon. Care to join us?" Kagome offered, setting her empty bowl down, slightly put off by the silver hair that was resting in its depths now.

"Well, I mean, I kinda wanted to finish our house so we could move in tonight. I just have the stones—oh. Okay." Kagome was giving him that Look again, and he realized her request wasn't the polite suggestion he'd hoped it was. "Uh, sure. We can go now."

The twins squealed in delight as their favorite uncle moved the door-flap aside and stuck his head in. Sango got up and came outside to talk with kagome, having just finished putting her little son down for a nap. InuYasha was patiently sitting still, trying to ignore the two little girls while they braided his hair, sitting in his lap.

"So, what do you think is the matter with him?" Sango asked, looking at InuYasha as he fought the urge to scratch yet again. The itchiness was starting to build…

"Oh, probably allergies. He said it happens every year around the same time, and that's what normally happens if a certain flower or plant is making you sick." Kagome smiled at her husband, seeing his eye twitch as he kept fighting the building urge to scratch. "What concerns me is the fact it's making his hair fall out too."

"Really? That does seem odd," Sango noted, looking at the hanyō man with renewed interest. "I wonder what might cause something like that?"

Finally, InuYasha could take it no longer, and _scratchscratchscratchscratchSCRATCHSCRATCHSCRATCH!_ He furiously ran both sets of claws over his scalp, dislodging several more strands of hair. He sighed in relief afterward as both women giggled at him.

"You know," Sango hummed thoughtfully, "He's actually acting a lot like Kirara." She called for the little neko-mata and Kirara appeared with a dainty mew, hopping into the woman's lap. She sat still for a couple of seconds, then scratched vigorously behind one black ear and shook afterward, leaving cream and black hair behind. "See? Scratching and shedding. It's just that time of year."

Kagome started giggling uncontrollably as she realized what had really happened. "Uh, Kagome? Are you okay?" InuYasha asked nervously, ears slowly going down in slight worry.

"Oh, Kami-sama, how could I not think of that?" she asked, still giggling. "Of course! You're SHEDDING!"

"Hey! I'm not just some _scratch-scratch-scratch shakeshakeshake_ common dog, you know! Have some respect!" he tried to object, but neither woman could take him seriously now that they had solved the mystery. He set the twins down and left in a huff with their happy giggling still sounding in his ears.

"Keh. Shedding. What a load of crap. I don't _shed._ My head's just itchy, and it'll go away soon—"

"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of madness." Shippou was sitting under a nearby tree, eating a plum he had gotten from somewhere.

"Who asked you, you little brat?" He bit back, clearly in a fouler mood with every passing minute. He glared at the little kitsune, who finished his plum and tossed the pit away.

"Well, you definitely didn't, since you were talking to yourself and all." He smirked at the peeved face of the half-dog demon, enjoying messing with him as usual. "Shedding, huh? Must be rough, being a dog."

"You're not gonna tell me you don't, too!"

"Why would I do that?" He asked nonchalantly, looking at his claws to make sure they were clean of any bits of plum. "What makes you think kitsune shed, anyway?"

"Huh? But—you—I know you do!" He barked, refusing to be lied to. "You have fur, so you have to!"

"Oh, all right, all right, I do," shippou agreed. "Later than you do, and not as… _violently_." He raised an eyebrow as InuYasha furiously scratched again, leaving errant strands on the ground. "That's just gross."

"Like I've got a choice! Go bug kagome or somethin'. I've got a roof to finish so I can move into _my house_ tonight." He stomped off again in a huff.

Kagome and Sango came by an hour or so later to see if InuYasha needed any help putting the stones up on the roof (not strength-wise, of course, but making sure he wasn't putting holes in the roof by being careless and trying to throw the stones). Kagome smiled to see that he was almost done, with just three or four of the stones left. She walked inside, showing the place off to Sango, then noticed more dirty footprints and silver hairs all over her freshly-swept floor.

When kagome stepped outside to call up to her husband on the roof, he made the mistake of sweeping off the small pile of hair he'd been accumulating as he scratched his head off the roof.

Right into Kagome's face.

"OSUWARI!" With a yelp and a loud _CRASH,_ InuYasha fell face-first through both the roof and the floor, landing on the dirt underneath. Kagome stormed in the door and up to the hanyō, who was cowering with his hands over his head, not sure what he did wrong this time.

"That's IT! You're sleeping outside until you're done shedding! No more hair all over everything!" She scolded him, furious. "And you'd better fix the roof and the floor while you're at it!"

"That was your fault I—okay," He quickly cowered again at her murderous look, and waited until she left.

"Keh. _Shedding._ Yeah, thanks a lot, Old Man. Of all the powers I could have gotten as a Yōkai, you gave me _that._ "

 _Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch._


	4. Part 3: Aftermath

A/N: I couldn't get this out of my head, so I'm going to continue it! Enjoy another part of "the princess and the dog", and don't forget to drop me a comment! I love hearing from my fans!

* * *

 **The Princess and the Dog**

 **Part 3: Aftermath**

Rated T

* * *

Four days later, Sesshomaru reached a hot spring, dirty, dishevelled and ashamed of the events of the running he'd been forced to attend. Hearing splashing, he paused and approached more cautiously, readying his poisonous claws in the hope of getting a bit of fresh meat, for he was famished. He straightened up in surprise to see his father stripped down to his shitabakama, washing the dirt and grime from his own clothes. He was even washing his pelt as carefully as he could manage, trying to avoid the scent of wet fur if possible.

"Father?" Sesshomaru wanted to make sure the silver-haired man knew he was there, so he would not attack. The man almost seemed to start guiltily at the voice, looking up sharply, then offering a slight smile, beckoning him over.

"go ahead and wash up. We'll return to the palace today." As his son moved closer, the Taishō caught the scent of a woman on him, quite powerfully, and his smirk grew considerably. "is there something you wish to tell me, my son?"

There was a deep pause and a surly glare from the young man, followed by a simple but extremely firm "NO."

Sesshomaru's father simply raised one black brow and didn't comment further, untying his underpants and washing them also before binding his hair up and settling into the water to relax. If he knew his son as well as he thought he did, he would eventually explain what had happened. The boy started stripping out of his own clothes and washing them, laying them on a nearby stone to dry in the sun while he joined his father in the hot spring to soak. Several moments of silence passed between them.

"I did as you wished." He looked up to find his son staring down at the water, clearly unwilling to meet his eyes. "on the third day, a young woman challenged me. From the kin-yama. My instincts took over and I was forced to pursue her." He went from looking down to away from the other man, swallowing softly. "when I came back to myself, I sent her away. I will not waste my time with women when there is power to be gained in this world."

"Sesshomaru," the Taishō spoke softly, leaning towards his son, "I have often told you, there is power to be gained in weakness. In having someone you wish to protect." The boy grunted softly and looked away again, his shoulders showing his tension. "not only that, but you should have been kinder to the woman who could very well be carrying the next heir." At these words, his head snapped up in alarm. Until this moment, the thought that the woman he had taken in his instincts could very well be pregnant now had not occurred to him. The man could see the alarm on his son's face for a few moments before the boy resolved that surely that had not happened. It couldn't have. He refused to believe it.

"we were not together for long. It is very unlikely. I sent her away as soon as I could. We both agreed it had been a mistake." The boy seemed to be trying to reassure himself as much as explain to his old man. The Taishō sighed softly. Well, he had his own problems. The ningen woman he had injured in his own instinctual haze was surely fine now. They had spent a fair amount of time in returning Izayoi—for that was the little ningen's name—back to her people. She had begged him to lay in his arms again even after he had hurt her, and in his weakness he had agreed. Until a few days ago, he had thought himself strong. The strongest InuYōkai in the known lands. But he was not. He was weak, and now a criminal. His only hope was that no one would ever have reason to discover his mistake.

"…father?" he looked up to find Sesshomaru staring at him and frowning softly. He had apparently asked a question and not received an answer.

"it is time to leave. Gather your clothing." He climbed out of the water and quickly donned his clothes, prepared for the journey back to their home at the palace.

Or so he thought.

* * *

It had been four days since the Lady Mother had been able to sleep. The loss of her beloved had hit her hard. The wound left from the loss of the mating mark was still freshly scabbed, and would take weeks to fade to a scar. It took longer to heal than bone, and everyone agreed that the wound was a far deeper one.

She was attempting to rest, reading through one of her favorite stories in the library, when a shout came from elsewhere in the palace. A guard soon arrived, bowing low. "milady, they have returned!" he told her, a bright smile on his face.

"who has returned?" she asked calmly, rolling the scroll back up and placing it on a shelf for later. 'they' could be anyone, and she refused to get any sort of hopes up.

"your mate, the Taishō, and your son, Sesshomaru!" the messenger replied immediately. The dainty woman was on her feet in an instant, walking briskly right past the guard and going to the throne room, where she knew he would enter. It could not be true…the kami would not be so merciful to her…would they?

Gobodō-sama stood on the dais of her throne room, watching the love of her life slowly climb the steps toward her. She knew he had seen her waiting for him, and wondered why he was taking so long to reach her. She shuffled foot to foot impatiently, and as soon as he passed the palace's threshold, she jumped forward and embraced her beloved, crying in relief. He stood still for a moment before embracing her gently.

"I thought you died!" she told him, holding back a sob of joy. "when the mark broke, I thought you died, I didn't know what to do!" she noticed when he suddenly stiffened in her embrace, as he realized that his mistake had caused wider consequences than he had known at the time. "my love? What is wrong? You are alive, and that is all I care for."

He let out a sigh and held her closer, nuzzling the top of her head as a wave of regret washed through him. "nothing. You're right. That's all that matters." It took only a few more seconds for her to realize that, if he was alive, then there must be another reason that her mating mark had been broken.

He let her go without a fight as she suddenly stepped back, going from overjoyed to enraged.

Sesshomaru was trying to get in through another entrance to the palace in order to avoid his mother's questioning about the woman he had unintentionally bedded. He turned quickly in surprise at a loud _crack_! And saw that one of the stone steps had been caved in by his father's body as he had been struck or thrown out of the palace. He picked himself up quickly as sesshomaru's mother, her eyes glowing red and wisps of smoke curling from her shaking hands in her rage, came out of the palace.

"HOW. DARE. YOU." Sesshomaru was alarmed to see his mother trembling with rage. "how…how could you do this to me?" she demanded of the man as he regained his feet.

"I swear to you, it was an accident! I would never do this to you!" he insisted, his hands up in front of him to defend himself.

"an accident?" she demanded sharply. "you put me through agony of body and spirit and you call it an ACCIDENT?!" she struck him again, sending him down several more stairs, though this time he caught himself. "how could you have been so irresponsible?"

"I never meant for anything to happen!" he insisted to her, a begging, remorseful look in his golden eyes. "I did everything in my power to avoid it!"

"clearly you did not!" she spat, her shaking slowly subsiding as she continued to back him down the stairs one at a time. "or you would not be standing before me in such disgrace."

"my dear, I swear it was nothing short of an accident—a lapse in judgement!" he begged, only to find himself pinned by his throat to the trunk of one of the old cherry trees.

"you," she snarled, "have lost all right to call me by such terms, you foul, worthless, cheating, common-dog!" she did not seem to care when he struggled for breath, finally releasing him after several seconds and turning her back, storming back up to the palace and ignoring his grovelling as he tried to follow until he grabbed her by the arm.

"our union _was_ an accident," he growled, growing angry at her refusal to let him explain.

"who was she?" she demanded, breaking his grip with a sharp strike to his wrist. "who could have possibly been worth an 'accident'?!"

He suddenly bowed his head and took a step back from her, his anger melting into deep sorrow.

"Well?!" she barked impatiently.

Sesshomaru did not hear his father's answer, but he didn't need to, as his mother repeated it in a shrill, disbelieving shriek. "A HUMAN?"

After hearing that word, he had no desire to listen any longer, and quickly left, wishing he had heard nothing about it at all.

* * *

The mighty Taishō of the dogs had a somewhat heavy heart as he neared the grounds of the compound in which he had left the ningen woman, Izayoi. His former mate had been quite clear about his duties in this matter. It was illegal, as it had been for centuries, to lay with a human. The penalty, in fact, was nothing short of death for all parties involved. She had told him she would keep it quiet and forget anything had happened, as long as he killed the little ningen himself and brought her heart back as proof of the deed. It would have been simpler to simply break the mate bond he had accidentally formed—the pain of that would surely kill her—but it seemed far too abrupt and cruel to him. But his beloved was very adamant—she not only had to die, but she had to die by his own hand, or his loyalty to his true mate would forever be in question. He sighed, stopping a ways outside the walls, and waiting for nightfall, when it would be simpler to get in without being seen.

After sundown, when the ningen guards were growing sleepy with the dullness of their job and the fires burned low, he jumped over the walls and settled onto the roof of the nearest building, quickly getting down to the ground and moving quickly, following the scent of the woman he had hoped to have parted ways with permanently. He opened the outer shoji door to be confronted with a small knife pointed point first at his throat, held with a slightly trembling, dainty hand.

"Izayoi?" he was surprised to find the little woman armed. She gasped and discarded the blade, then threw her arms around his chest and embraced him, weeping with joy.

"oh, my love, I thought you would never return to me!" she exclaimed, holding him tightly as he stood uncomfortably.

He frowned and stepped back, holding the little ningen at arm's length. "Izayoi. I told you, I ordered you, to forget what happened between us. It was a mistake, and it meant nothing to me." She immediately looked hurt.

"then…why did you lay with me again? I thought that was different…" she had gone from overjoyed to see him, to sorrowful at his insistence that their union had been a mistake. Foolish women—their emotions seemed to change like spring breezes.

"It was nothing more than my own instincts overpowering me, I assure you. Now, Izayoi, listen to me." He tipped her chin up, forcing him to look at her eyes as much as the other way around. "my mate—my _real_ mate—she has demanded your life. To prove my loyalty and save my own life, I must take your heart back to her."

She gasped in dismay but did not seem the least bit afraid of him. Of course, her own instincts would tell her that the mating mark protected her from any harm he could deal her. She looked down, then back up again. "I had thought you came back to me for a different reason," she admitted softly. The man tilted his head slightly to one side in confusion. He was just starting to notice that the little ningen smelled different than she had two weeks ago, and in a familiar way he couldn't quite figure out.

"and what reason is that?"

Izayoi looked up at the DaiYōkai she was not afraid to call her beloved, and gave a soft smile. "I am pregnant, my love."

* * *

A/N: wellllllll…I may make a part four, too, but I'll gauge it by comments, so if you want it I need to hear from you! And don't worry, chapter 44 of yōkai pride, human prejudice should be out soon…fingers crossed…


	5. Pup Pox

A/N: Japanese terms used: fundoshi=underwear, furisode=a large or long sleeved kimono robe, hakama=pants that tie around the waist, usually wide and somewhat skirtlike, kosode= "small sleeve", a kimono with short or small sleeves, often an underlayer or sleeping robe. also, the game they're playing is called GO, in case you're curious.

this was requested by Jazzy1701, who asked for Sesshomaru to get sick and sneeze a lot! Why not? I present grumpy preteen Sesshomaru in:

 **Title: Pup Pox**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

"I really do not like this idea of yours, my dear."

The Great Dog General was sitting across the table from his mate, enjoying some sort of simple board game, which she was winning, much to his chagrin. "and why not? You know it will happen sooner or later. Better sooner, I should think."

"Deliberately making him ill, though? What good could that serve?" his thick black brows furrowed as she captured another of his black stones, removing it from the board. "he will certainly resent us for it."

"not if he knows it is for his own good. You know you can only get it once, and the older he is, the worse the illness will be. Besides," she continued, claiming another of his stones in a move that made him groan, "he doesn't have to know it was us."

"he will suspect," the man pointed out, trying to find a useful move as he studied the board, but passing his turn, not finding one.

"let him. He can't prove it, and one day, I'm sure he will thank us." She passed her turn and smirked, knowing already she had won by far. Her mate obviously knew it too, and simply swept the stones off the board into a small container so the game could be put away.

"if you believe so…then I suppose we should."

* * *

"I'm too old for the nursery," Sesshomaru objected with a deep frown and folded arms, glaring at his tutor. "I'm almost a hundred! Nursery is for pups!"

"they've asked you to help, not to have your _fundoshi_ changed!" the tutor snapped, beginning to lose patience with the insolent heir. "you are going to aid and observe. As you say, you're almost a hundred, young master, and that means before long you will be attending the running and having pups of your own. Best you know your way around caring for one, don't you think?"

"feh. That's women's work, to care for ones that young. _My_ job will be to be powerful!" there was a bit of a light in his eyes at this declaration, and it rather troubled the tutor on occasion. He frowned. "now, Sesshomaru-chan—"

" _don't._ call me that."

The tutor abruptly lost the last shred of their patience and nearly backhanded the insolent youth, barely restraining themselves. "you outrank me in blood only, you insolent pup! Remember your place!" he barked, finally making him back down, if only barely. "you are going to the nursery for 3 days, and that is the end of it! I expect both a verbal and written report on everything you learned while there, _in detail,_ the following day."

The youth, in his flower-marked furisode and simple hakama—for after all, he was at home—gave a rather stiff bow of deference and grated out a "yes, sensei" before leaving rather quickly.

* * *

"you…want me…to do _what?_ "

The youth looked dismayed, holding the two-year-old pup as far at arm's length as he could manage, trying to ignore the frankly painful wails it was producing, as well as the ripe stench.

"change him, and make sure he's cleaned properly. It's not hard. Go on, I'll help you," the friendly Ka nursemaid encouraged, orange hair tied in a tight bun to keep it out of reach of the various tots under the watchful gaze of the women there. The youth gave her a pleading look, trying to hide it behind bravado after a moment. "lay him down, and I'll show you." He quickly all but dropped the infant on the soft mat, just managing to be gentle while being as quick as possible. When she removed the diaper, the stench was suddenly almost unbearable to Sesshomaru, and he took a step back, covering his nose with his sleeve, eyes wide in horror. "you get used to it," she commented in amusement. "come on, you need to do this. You'd better get used to it over the next few days!"

After that harrowing experience, he was quite sure this next few days were going to be hell. Which level, he hadn't yet decided, but it had to be deep. He watched another little tot, this one a girl, wander over with a soft toy in her tiny hand to where he was seated in the corner, trying to hide a bit from the slobbering and crying and stink. She was younger than the others here, probably just under a year—it was February, and the way she walked so unsteadily meant she couldn't be two yet. She held out the little toy as an offering of peace, and in spite of himself, he held out his hand to take it. She took this, apparently, as 'please climb in my lap' and he quickly tried to shoo her away before she could drool or…do other things…on him. She gave him a charming three-toothed smile, and just as he opened his mouth to ask her to leave— _ACHOO!_

Sesshomaru started coughing violently, trying to get the sneeze out of his mouth, quickly moving the girl away from him, who was crying now, who knew why. A nurse was there in seconds to sort the two out, telling him to go drink some tea and take a break, come back when he felt better. Not one to waste an escape opportunity, he was out of the room like an arrow from a bow, going straight for the kitchen to ask for tea.

* * *

 _Ah…aaaahh…ah-ah-CHOO!_ A thunderous sneeze woke Sesshomaru from a sound sleep that night. He'd drunk an entire _pot_ of tea earlier to rinse out his mouth, but it didn't seem to have done anything. It was cold in his room, but he had squirmed out of the blankets and was sweating and a bit clammy. Another thunderous sneeze came out of him and he wiped at his nose and eyes as best he could with the corner of his kosode sleeve. He felt awful. Managing to crawl out of bed, he staggered over to his door and wandered down the hall, trying to remember where the healer's area was. Was it a right, then a left, or two lefts, then a right? It was too late at night for this. _ACHOO!_ Maybe he should just go to his parents. He knew where they were, at least.

The distant sounds of sneezing and miserable sniffling woke the Lady Mother, and she smiled. So, it had worked, her little plan. She got up to answer the door at her son's soft knock, which finally woke her mate with a slight snork, as he'd been lightly snoring.

"mother…*sniff, SNIIIIFF* I think I'm sick…" he managed to tell her when she answered the door. "where's the healer? I can't re-re-ah-CHOO!...remember," he whimpered, wiping his nose on his sleeve again, much to her disgust. She reached forward, feeling his head and noting his fever was a bit higher than she had expected.

"come with me, I'll take you to them." She took him by the wrist of the arm he hadn't been wiping his runny nose on and led him quickly to the healer, who had been expecting him. "ooh, you don't look too comfortable. Here, let me make something so you can sleep."

* * *

Sesshomaru _itched._

It started, somehow, before he woke up that morning, a dull, painful itch all over his body, seemingly from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Thinking no one was around, he indulged in a pitiful little whimper of discomfort before sitting up, immediately resolving to removing all the offending itchy skin if he had to in order to find relief.

"now, just a moment," said a voice from surprisingly nearby, and Sesshomaru jumped guiltily, whipping around (OW HIS HEAD) to see the healer sitting right behind where his head had been on his cot. "don't scratch, you might get scars."

"what is this? Why am I sick?" he demanded, frustrated that his words were coming out rather garbled due to his stuffed nose, which he was certain was bright red at the tip. He looked down at a particularly itchy patch of skin, surprised to find tiny red bumps all over it, like the skin of a freshly-plucked bird, he thought.

"it's called pup-pox, Sesshomaru-chan," the healer told him with a smile. "you probably got it from that little girl in the nursery—she was just recovering from having it a week or so ago." So, it was the little girl's fault. Curse her. How was he supposed to train and do his lessons like—like _this_?

"you'll be staying here for at least three days, until the spots fade," the healer continued, watching the boy's eyes widen with alarm. "don't worry, we have things for the itching." But rather than producing a salve, as he had hoped, the healer instead produced…a pair of thick mittens. "we can't have you clawing yourself up, now can we?"

"this sessh—ses—seh—CHOO!...never mind." It wasn't worth talking when it took so much effort. But once the sneezing had died down, he would make sure everyone in the palace knew, individually, just how much he was not amused by this situation.

*sniff, SnIIIFF* choo!


	6. For The Sake of Sake

Reviewer Lunastar23 requested a story that showed Sesshomaru drunk, to see what he would be like. This doesn't really fit anywhere in my main story (yōkai pride, human prejudice) so I thought I would make a small bit here.

Culture notes: age of maturity was a bit different hundreds of years ago. The age of 150 that the InuYōkai cite as 'mature' would be equivalent to roughly 15-16 years old. Reproductively mature, and you've stopped growing taller. Other milestones include 100 days old as "surviving childhood", 3-5 years old for fluff growing, 15 to 20 for obtaining true form for the first time, and 75 for assumption of basic duties, if they're being trained to fill a position. These equate in human terms to: 100 days old (3-4 months), 2-3 years old, 4-5 years old, and about 9 years old. After age 150, aging is entirely dependent on the experiences and mental state of the individual, but until then they normally grow up just like humans, but a LOT slower.

Enjoy more grumpy preteen Sesshomaru in:

 **For the sake of Sake**

 **Rated: k+** (for drunkenness, obviously)

* * *

Sesshomaru was looking forward to a break from his classes. The lessons were constant, every day from morning to evening, except for two weeks out of the year, for the Running and the Whelping Festivals, held six months apart. Having spent the long winter training, he was looking forward to a few days off. Perhaps he could enjoy the sakura blooming around the palace, or maybe he'd be permitted to go on an unsupervised hunt. Well, that was unlikely, actually, but maybe if he begged—

 _Smack!_

Sesshomaru jumped in surprise at his stinging hand, recoiling from his teacher, who had swatted the idle boy with a small wooden paddle. "You have to fill that page with characters! Get on it!" The teacher scolded, settling back on his cushion a few feet away. The boy gritted his teeth and dipped his brush in the ink once more, returning to writing, copying the text his teacher had given him from plain writing to calligraphy. Heaven knew it wasn't his father that wanted these lessons. Or the koto he was forced to play at least an hour a day. Oh, no, that was certainly his mother's doing. He wondered, sometimes, if she had wished for a daughter, but gotten him instead. She certainly tried to coddle him from time to time, and he had to remind her he was a boy, and not—

 _Smack!_

"Stop it!" Sesshomaru barked at the teacher, dropping the loaded brush on his nearly-completed page and splattering ink all over it as he rubbed at his painful hand.

"I would if you would just _focus!_ " The teacher barked back, towering over his short desk, bent nearly double to get into his student's face. "How do you think to be a good ruler of your people if you cannot focus on a boring task for more than a minute?!"

"What good does it serve anyone to make a readable scroll unreadable? Just for the sake of 'beauty'?" Sesshomaru mocked in return. "Calligraphy is a useless art, and you just hate me because I have the sense to know that!"

 _SMACK._

This time, it was a hand on Sesshomaru's cheek, striking hard enough to welt the skin and leave fine scratches from the teacher's claws across half his face. The teacher glared at the youth, who was staring at him in shocked surprise. "You're dismissed. Get out." He pointed at the door and the boy flinched, expecting a second blow, but luckily it did not come. He jumped to his feet with all the dignity he could muster and beat a hasty retreat, going out to the courtyard and sitting up in one of the old cherry trees, rubbing gently at his cheek until the wounds scabbed and faded. He didn't want to go to his mother or father. Likely they wouldn't do anything. After all, the teachers were allowed to discipline him if he stepped out of line. That's all that was…right? He scoffed at himself and went back inside as the biting cold wind became uncomfortable for the youth.

* * *

After most of the servants were asleep for the night, the Great Dog General stayed awake with his mate, finalizing plans for the Whelping Festival, which would start in just a few days. Women were already coming in from the farthest territories, and several orange-haired and teardrop-marked Ka midwives were already there in case of any early births, which did sometimes happen.

"The south Umi pack has offered to bring their sake again," He noted, going down the list of food and supplies each Daimyō had offered to bring. "We're in for a treat—it's the best in the land." His mate scoffed, reading the list from the deep brown-haired Mori clan, who lived in the northernmost territory, bordering the northern wolf tribes.

"You and your alcohol," She teased, setting her own list down. "I am more concerned about our son. He will be 75 this year, and you still insist on not betrothing him."

The large man nodded, setting down his list as well. "You have seen how he behaves around others. He'd as soon kill a woman as mate one, if he thought it would gain him power. He is impatient to gain his birthright, much as I was. Perhaps more. I could not in good conscience subject a maiden to that."

"I fared fine. In fact, dare I say I mellowed you a bit?" His mate smirked wryly at him, making him turn faintly pink and frown softly.

"As I say, I worry he is worse than I was. And I still regret the callousness you endured at my hand in your youth. I did not know then what love really meant. I know our son will learn in time, but…he does not know now. No young lady deserves such callousness and neglect from the one who ought to nurture and protect her. No, I will not betroth him. He will find someone when he is ready, and not before."

"Well," The Lady mother hummed, "That still leaves the problem of his ascension. He is 75 this year, as I said, which means he needs to start taking on basic duties and learning more from you. His teachers can only teach him the most basic parts of honor and leadership— _you_ must teach him to become the Taishōgun."

He nodded and sighed. "I fear he may not be ready for that either, but I cannot hold him back. Better he learns young…if he ever gets anything through that thick skull of his…"

* * *

At the beginning of the Whelping Festival, there was the Ascension Ceremony. It was just a formality, and as such Sesshomaru hated it. It was an excuse to wear layers and layers of uncomfortable clothing and try not to pant in front of dozens of staring eyes. Oh, how he hated it.

His mother and father linked arms and strode out in front of him, and he hid his hands in his overlarge outer robe and walked forward behind them. Properly, he should have mirrored them with a woman of his own, as his teachers had been quick to remind him, but he straightened his back and tipped up his chin as he proudly strode in alone. The Daimyō expected him to be betrothed, yet their daughters were airheads that cared for nothing but pretty colors and Hanami and hair. He despised their cheerful, worthless chattering. They sounded like birds, and their speech was about as useful. The servant girls around the palace were more interesting, perhaps, but they were beneath the heir's notice. He was under a strict obligation to take a mate from a high bloodline like his own—a Daimyō's child, or at least a minor noble. He was forbidden to take a servant, or a village girl, and he would sooner sully his blood with a _human_ than someone of such low birth.

He stepped to the front of the dais as he reached it and looked around at all the curious faces. "I am Sesshomaru, born of the Tsuki clan, heir to the western clans and heir to the Shogunate. Today I claim my right as heir and ruler of the Tsuki clan, steward of their lands and their people." The Tsuki, marked with their moon, numbered the fewest of any clan, having been decimated in the civil war before Sesshomaru's birth, when his mother was a mere child. As such, the only remaining Tsuki—besides the royal family—were a few servant families. They had no proper Daimyō, just a steward. His mother held the stewardship until now, then passed it to him as of today.

After all the bowing and pontificating, it was time to start the feasting for those celebrating in the festival. Now that he was 75, he was no longer required to stay with the children, but was allowed into the adults' feast with his parents. The first things to catch his eye were the dishes that many of the men and a few women were drinking from. It looked like water, but certainly didn't smell like it. "Excuse me," He said to a golden-haired Kin-Yama woman, "What is that you're drinking?"

"This?" She asked, showing him the clear but strong-smelling liquid in the dish. "This is Sake, young lord."

"Sake?" The stuff that made his father act silly and the males fight? "Why would you drink that?"

"It's fun!" She told him cheerfully, taking a sip. "Ask the Taishō-sama!"

So Sesshomaru made his way over to his mother and father, who were also drinking the sake. His father's face was starting to tint pink, he noticed. "Father, may I have some of that?"

The cheerful man turned to his son, instantly frowning. "The sake? No, you may not. It's far too strong for you. You're forbidden to drink it."

"How come you can drink it?" He challenged, not liking being told no.

"Because I'm a lot bigger than you are, and it doesn't affect me as strongly. It would make you ill, my son. You are absolutely NOT to drink any, understood?"

He looked down. "Yes, father," He sighed, shuffling away. There he went, being overprotective again. Well, the stuff didn't smell all that great anyway, he was just curious exactly what effect it would really have on him. Hmm…maybe…he could just snag an unattended bottle, and find out for himself?

Acquiring a small and mostly full bottle was simple enough, as most of the adults paid no attention to the young lord. He grabbed a small dish too on his way out, heading for the peace and quiet of his room, where no one would be likely to bother him.

It tasted terrible. Sesshomaru coughed and spluttered at the first sip of the alcohol, nearly dropping the small dish. What immediately followed was a rather unpleasant burning sensation in his mouth, numbing his tongue and stinging his nose as well. "Ugh!" Who would drink this stuff? How could it be fun?! He reluctantly finished the dish and set it down, licking his lips to ease the burning, which mercifully faded quickly. Well…really it wasn't all that bad, after the burning was gone. It actually had a very pleasant aftertaste. He started feeling a little warm as he poured a second dish, bracing himself for the burn he now knew was coming. He managed to drink it all in one long sip, this time, and giggled at his own genius of sneaking away as he poured himself a third dish.

In short order, the sake was gone, as well as his layers, his sense of balance, and most of his clear eyesight. He tipped the small bottle upside down and shook it futilely over his open mouth, giving it a look of disappointment at its emptiness. It was gone too quickly, and it was so good…he should get more…his stomach growled as well, alerting him that he had left the feast before eating much.

Using the wall, Sesshomaru managed to get himself upright with a bit of difficulty. "The room's turning…" He commented with a small giggle, waiting for it to still so he could leave and return to the feast. Luckily, by now it had died down. He staggered his way down the halls back to the feast, somehow slipping back in unnoticed. It was quite likely, in fact, at least to his mind, that no one had even noticed him missing. He let out a loud, painful hiccup as he reached the main banquet table and grabbed a mostly empty plate of mochi cakes, the first thing he saw. He stuffed them quickly in his mouth, struggling to chew, and grabbed the next closest thing—a bowl of soba noodles.

Sesshomaru's mother was sitting with a few of the ladies that had chosen to abstain from the drinking and revelry on the other side of the room. She was cradling an orphan pup, allowing it to nurse while the midwives found a permanent nurse for them. His father was not immediately obvious to the boy.

Suddenly, a large, heavy hand came down on Sesshomaru's shoulder. He straightened up in alarm, soba noodles dangling half out of his mouth, trailing all the way to the small bowl in his hand. "And just where have you been, my son?"

He quickly bit off the noodles and swallowed with a bit of difficulty, putting the bowl back down and turning around. "Father, I—" But that was as far as the red-faced boy made it before everything he'd managed to eat made a reappearance on the floor between them. Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him and he fell, only his father's large hand stopping him from crashing to the ground.

"You drank the sake, didn't you?" Sesshomaru's father narrowed his eyes at his guilty and sick-looking son, who was clearly very unstable and red in the face. "This is why I told you not to touch it."

"I—I just wanted to—to…" He couldn't think straight to make up a good reason. "They said it would be fun!"

"And do you feel like it's fun?"

"No!I feel bad, Papa." He was trying to fight the dizziness and stand up straight, but it was clearly a losing battle. And all the delicious food smells from the table were making him feel nauseous even more. His father looked furious, and clearly he wasn't getting off easy for his disobedience. But suddenly something shifted in the golden eyes, and he took his son by the arm.

"Well, the best part is I'll hardly have to punish you for this," He commented in a frighteningly light tone as he guided the boy back to his room, fetching a bucket on the way.

"What? What's that mean?"

"You'll see…tomorrow morning."

The boy did wind up using the bucket before his father got him tucked into bed with a wet washcloth to cool his head and a canister of water. "Just go to sleep." The boy was out quickly, and the Taishō smirked as he left, returning to his mate to tell her of what had happened.

In the wee hours of the next morning, many in the palace were alarmed by loud, pained howling. Guards and the rulers themselves ran towards the source of the noise—the heir's bedroom.

" **MY HEAD!** "


End file.
